Guardianship
by The Poisoned Quill
Summary: When Annie faces a choice when it comes to her nieces future, Auggie offers to help her along the way. Meanwhile, thier feelings grow too strong to be left ignored.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, so this is my first Covert Affairs... obviously. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs, though I wish I did.**

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Her day started out normal, ha, as if anything was ever normal in the CIA. But, in Annie's mind, if nothing got shot or blown up, it was probably as normal than anything was going to get around here. But that normal day was just getting started, filled mostly with mindless paperwork that Auggie somehow managed to make lively just by sitting on the edge of her desk like he was now. Now, it was 3:30 and her normal day was about to end. Because in the CIA, you can never just have something simple and easy.

She laughed and shook her head as Auggie made yet another joke at poor Jai Wilcox' expense. He was supposed to be doing something else, but as usual he'd found himself being drawn to her like a moth to a flame. He could never understand why being around her could be so wonderful and so painful, but that was a thought for another time. Instead, he turned his attention to the particularly annoying sound of Jai's voice as he once again graced them with his presence.

Then something happened that almost never happened for Annie Walker, being so new to the Agency. Her phone rang. She stared at the cellphone that sat on her desk as if she'd never seen it before, trying to figure out who would be calling her and about what. Auggie reached out to find her, his fingers brushing her shoulder with a confused smile on his face. "Aren't you going to get that?"

His voice broke through her daze and she grabbed it with a collected sigh. "Acquisitions, Annie Walker." The person on the phone identified themself as a secretary at her nieces' school and the warning bells in the back of her head went off.

Auggie listened casually (what? Being blind just happened to give him awesome hearing) to both sides of the conversation, frowned when he heard Annie get up to walk away but he didn't move to stop her. She kept talking and now he could only hear her side of the conversation. He could hear her voice shift to concern as she asked question after question. He managed to put the pieces together well enough. Her sister hadn't picked the girls up from school and she wasn't answering her phone. Neither was her husband.

When he heard the phone snap shut he smiled sympathetically in her direction before she could say anythin. "Go, I'll talk to Joan."

"Thanks." She smiled for his benefit even if he couldn't see her. Grabbing her purse and giving his shoulder a quick squeeze, she practically ran out.

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_Annie:_

So maybe she was panicking, she told herself as she got in the car and drove away, but that didn't stop her mind from building all these scenarios about why her sister wasn't answering. A car accident, a mugging, anything but what would be the truth. Before she knew it she was at the school and it was easy enough to play the cool aunt and take them out for ice cream as long as it put off the questions to which she had no answers (like where was mommy?). After a half an hour with the girls, smiling and acting as if nothing was wrong came naturally as they were both wonderful girls.

Once they finally got home it was almost easy to believe that maybe there was a reasonable explanation. She started Sarah and Ellen on their homework and emailed Auggie, simply to thank him for covering for her. The girls kept her pretty busy playing video games until she finally claimed it was time for her to get dinner on the table. She wasn't the best cook, but she could make something simple when the need arose.

She was about halfway done browning the meat for their dinner when Ellen (the oldest) came running into the kitchen. She had the biggest smile on her face and held a thick manilla envelope. "The really nice man in the brown truck said this was for you."

Annie took it from her with a forced smile. Something wasn't right.

* * *

_Auggie:_

Against his better judgment, he didn't insist on going with Annie when she left, although he probably could have gotten her to not panic like he knew she would. He didn't go, because he needed to be here, and she needed him to cover for let her run out, the sound of her heels fading quickly as he got up and went the other direction, to Joan.

It seemed Joan had a similar idea. "Auggie, where's Annie?" He heard her match his pace, but didn't give her his default smile.

"Is something wrong?" He asked, he could hear the tension in her voice and his concern for Annie doubled. "Joan, why do I sense that Annie's in some kind of trouble?"

"Because you worry about her like a mother hen." Joan smiled, touched his arm out of habit. After Annie had shown up a little over a year ago she'd found herself including Auggie even more than she had before (and that was a lot already), and found herself getting oddly comfortable treating him like a friend rather than simply a subordinate. "You're going to want to talk to her, Annie's file got flagged. Nothing serious, but she'll want you."

"Joan..." He started to ask her to just spit out whatever was bothering her.

"It's not my place." She stopped as he kept walking, now with pretty much no direction. "Talk to her, Auggie, after you finish whatever you're supposed to be doing."

"Right." He laughed as he went back to his desk and returned to the work he'd put off because he had better things to do. Those things being talking to Annie, teasing Annie, and harassing Jai just to hear Annie's laugh. Not that he minded so much, the codes his team was working on were nothing more than smoke, nothing but chatter to distract them from something bigger. Whatever it was had the seventh floor itchy.

It was five before he could pull away long enough to even check his email. He slipped his headphones on, opened the one the computer told him was from Annie. "Auggie." Her voice spoke to him. God, he loved being a master of technology. He'd long since programmed his computer to read the emails in the voice of the sender. "Thought I'd just say thank you for covering for me. My sister still hasn't been heard from but I'm not too worried. I gotta go though, my nieces are threatening a riot if I don't play Spyro with them before dinner. You know how they can be. Bye. Annie."

He smiled at that, yes, he remembered quite well. He'd done Annie the favor of "dropping by" on several occasions and in the process had spent several hours with the family at the Zoo. The girls, while slightly insane, were hard to say no to, especially for Annie.

Then, he'd grown surprisingly fond of them as well. He wondered what Annie would think if he got someone to drive him over to her house and hung out for a couple of hours. She'd probably laugh at him, seeing through the excuse he'd give before leaning into him affectionately. He didn't know how she managed it, but she never made him feel like she pitied him. In fact, sometimes it seemed like she forgot he was blind altogether. It was a welcome relief, and something he'd never take for granted.

"Auggie." Joan's voice reached his ears before he realized he still had his headphones on. He pulled them off and made a sound of acknowledgment. "Annie's not in any kind of trouble, but the police were called early this morning at her sister's house for a domestic dispute. It's the fifth time, so her file was flagged because both her sister and brother-in-law have been sentenced to a month in the DC jail."

"Joan, why are you tell..." He started to ask in that confused tone he rarely had to use. Then again, today was turning out to be a really weird day.

"Because I chose to... and I like you guys too much for my own good." He knew she shrugged, he could practically hear it. It was a very un-Joan gesture, then again, it was a very un-Joan thing to say. "Anyway, go on and get out of here. Tell Annie I'm here for her."

He didn't need to be told twice, he was up and looking for a ride.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thanks for the awesome reviews so far :)**

**Two disclaimers:**

**1) I do not own Covert Affairs **

**2) I know absolutely nothing about the law system... I'm making it up as I go.  
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He got to her house just a little bit after six. Okay, so technically it wasn't her sister's house but that didn't change the fact that she was there more often than she was at the guest house. The sound of children's feet running through the house followed by a sharp order by Annie to quit running made his smile grow just a little. Kids never changed.

The door opened and he was struck dumb by the familiar perfume. He hadn't even knocked. Suddenly he didn't remember why he had come and he didn't remember how to speak. The silence grew heavy between them until Annie made the brave move of speaking first. "Auggie, what are you doing here?"

And the awkwardness evaporated as quickly as it had come. "What? I can't simply want to visit my best friend now?"

He could practically hear her smile. Beautiful smile, he could imagine, one that would turn normal men weak at the knees. Then again, she managed to do that quite fine with his other four senses. Like now, when he could hear the easy flirtatious laughter in her voice when she asked, "Oh, we're friends now, are we?"

He patted his heart, feigned a wounded expression. "Annie, how could you? You're breaking my heart."

She chuckled. "Oh, I'm sure you'll live." She grew scarily quiet, like she always did when something was on her mind. He stepped forward until her hand reached out and rested on his chest. He could feel the gentle in and out of her breath as he reached out to find her cheek.

She let out a breath. These moments when it was just the two of them and he showed this tenderness were rare. In these moments, the way he touched and spoke to her rocked her and left her world sitting on it's edge. It always left her questioning the kind of friends they were. His voice was soft, like his caress. "I was worried about you, Annie."

"Worried?" Annie combed her mind for a single reason that Auggie would worry about her and when it hit her she had to swallow a chuckle. "Joan told you."

"A little." He shrugged with a sheepish little smile before it disappeared. "Not enough. What's going on, Annie?"

This was not the conversation to be having in the doorway where either of the girls could hear. Little girls didn't need to know such things about their parents. "Come on in." She took his arm as casually as she always had and smiled when the girls ran from one room to another, oblivious to their guest. For the moment, she wanted to keep it that way. Once they realized Auggie was here, he'd cease to be all hers. "Did you want to stay for dinner tonight? I'm making tacos, plenty to go around."

"Sounds great." He grinned. It smelled great too. He sat at the table while Annie returned to what she was preparing. "Annie, what's going on."

"I'm taking care of the girls for a couple of weeks." There was an edge to her voice that was never there unless she was trying to contain her frustration. He had a feeling Danielle would be in hot water when she came home. "Evidently, it slipped my sister's mind to mention that her and her husband have this bad habit of trying to kill each other. Or at least, that's what I understood when I called the police station to get the full story, instead of the abbreviated version my sister asked her lawyer to send along with Beth and Aaron's birth certificates and the guardianship papers." She glared at the offending objects on the table next to Auggie before returning to her preparations. " I mean, once I could understand. Nobody's marriage is perfect."

"But..." Auggie nodded in understanding. "When it happens enough to get arrested, there's something wrong in the marriage." He paused for a second to smile at the girls' argument upstairs. Their family situation was shaken and unsturdy and they were fighting over which barbie got the pretty purple dress. "What about the girls? What happens to them when mommy and daddy try to destroy each other?"

"I can decide to take them and move out after the two weeks are up." She switched to the island so that she could look at him as she chopped lettuce. She had a thing about fresh vegetables only recently, probably from spending too much time with Auggie. He was always going on about the difference in quality and all that jazz. But that was neither here nor there. "Or I can refuse, in which case, if Danielle and Mark get in trouble again Social Services will get involved. And there's a good chance the girls would be taken away for their own security."

"So what do you think you're going to do?" He got up, stepped forward to put his hands on the island next to her.

"See how this week goes and make a decision at the end of the week." She touched his arm, looked at him with curiosity. "What would you do?"

He thought about it for a second. He didn't have any nieces or nephews, any children that he felt responsible for. If he did, maybe he'd have an answer for her. But as it was, all he could do was shake his head. "I don't know, but I do know that, whatever you decide, I have your back."

She didn't say anything as they stood there and the girls could be heard coming down the stairs. For a moment he wondered if he had said the wrong thing, but he couldn't imagine how. Finally, he felt her lips on his cheek before she turned away to get something out of the cupboard.

Their calm was broken the moment Beth, the older of the two, spotted him. "Auggie!" Annie watched as a huge grin stretched across the young girl's face. She'd never give Auggie the satisfaction of knowing, but she suspected that Beth had a school girl crush on Auggie. Then again, she smiled to herself as Beth hugged Auggie and he wrapped his arms around her enthusiastically as Beth rambled to him, maybe Auggie had a tiny crush on her niece as well.

"Whatcha thinkin' about?" Aaron came up beside her, eager to help Annie set the table.

"Crushes." She answered honestly, expecting the "ew" that came from Aaron. She didn't disappoint. She was at the cootie stage. A much simpler time in a girl's life when you didn't have to wonder what was going on in a man's head when he got this look on his face.

Like now, when he looked up from Beth to smirk in Annie's direction. "You have a crush on me?"

For once she was glad he couldn't see her, she wouldn't be able to explain away the blush that warmed her face. "You wish." She smirked back at him, covering flawlessly.

"Aunt Annie." Beth whined as she stepped away from Auggie with a pout on her adorable face. "I'm starving."

"Help me set the table and then we can eat." Annie told her, handing her the plate of taco shells.

Auggie listened to the commotion as she worked around the girls to get dinner on the table and smiled to himself. She handled them easier than she let on. They both adored her, and he wondered if she knew how her voice softened when she talked to them. One day he'd have to record it for her, make her listen to the difference. And he wondered briefly why she wanted to be a CIA agent so badly when she would make such an awesome mom.

When she reached up to tussle his hair and take a jab at him, he was glad she did. Because if she hadn't, he'd have missed out on being a part of this. He sat down where she instructed and things went smoothly, until...

"Aunt Annie, are you having a slumber party?" Aaron asked all too innocently as she took a drink of her milk.

"What?" Annie almost choked on the food she'd been about to swallow. She kicked Auggie under the table when he laughed.

"Are you having a slumber party?" She asked again, giving her the "duh" stare.

"Yes, she is." Auggie answered for her, causing Annie to sputter.

"But... I... You..." She couldn't figure out what needed to be said first. It had nothing to do with the thoughts in her head that she should not be thinking... no, nothing to do with those at all.

He went back to eating as if nothing he'd said was out of place and she was left wondering when she'd lost control of her situation as badly as she did.

Auggie noticed her silence, reached over to place his hand over hers. She turned her hand over and absently tangled her fingers with his. He brushed his thumb over the back of her hand and felt the goosebumps that rose at the contact. Maybe he'd said the right thing after all.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, so this is turning out to be sooo much longer than I originally intended, but the plot bunnies are bouncing like crazy. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs.**

**Oh, and I love each and every one of you reviews, they each bring a smile to my face which inspires me to try and put a smile on yours. So, here's my best shot. :)**

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Annie watched the girls lead Auggie out of the kitchen with a shake of her head as she did the dishes. She didn't understand what was so different all of a sudden, he was still the same Auggie, she was still the same Annie. So why was it she couldn't think clearly whenever he smiled in her direction tonight. If she could concentrate, she wouldn't be in such a position now. She would have pointed out all the reasons why he _shouldn't _spend the night.

Like the fact that he didn't have any spare clothes with him and that there was only one couch. She couldn't go out to the guest house to sleep while the girls were her responsibility and she wasn't going to ask Auggie to spend the night out there. And they definitely not sleeping in her sister's bed.

But as she heard the giggles of her nieces, she decided that maybe, just maybe, this could work to her own advantage as well. He was the one who gave Aaron the false hope of a slumber party after all. Quickly she opened the kitchen door and snuck over to the guest house. She'd give Aaron the sleepover she couldn't stop talking about and possibly Auggie's presence would stop them from asking where their mom was, at least until she could come up with something to tell them other than, "Oh, honey, I didn't want to worry you but mommy and daddy are in jail because they keep trying to kill each other." She was definitely not telling them that.

She grabbed some bedding and something to sleep in before changing her shoes. Now all she had to figure out was how to keep the girls occupied until their bed time in an hour and a half. She could play another video game with them, that could keep them busy. Or they could play hide and seek, the girls loved that game. But whatever they decided to do, she couldn't just stand around in the guest house all night.

When she finally stumbled back into the kitchen she practically felt the cluster of green dots on her before she saw them. Auggie was leaning in the entryway and she only had to look at him to know the answer to her unasked question. "You heard the door."

"Right the first time." He frowned when she didn't say anything. "Annie, I'm sorry if I over stepped when I invited myself to spend the night. I don't have to if you don't think it's a good idea."

She walked over to him, shifted all she was carrying so that she could reach over and squeeze his hand. "You're always welcome here, I just hadn't realized you would want to." She smiled now, a wicked thought running through her mind. "Most people would run the other way after a few minutes of my nieces' special brand of enthusiasm."

"Is that so?" He smiled now too as he offered her his arm. "Shall we then?"

She took his arm with a laugh, knowing that whatever change she felt between them was completely insane and a figure her imagination, as they walked back into the living room to the unexpected surprise of complete silence and two impatient stares. "What?" She was almost afraid to ask.

"We want you to play a game with us." Beth had this look in her eye when she answered. One that Annie didn't need translated.

"Beth, no..." Annie warned. Beth was practically Danielle's apprentice matchmaker, and anything she could offer would serve her ulterior motive to get Annie a man.

"Puhlease." Aaron wore the same look and for a brief moment she considered changing her mind, but she stayed unwavering. It was better if she didn't take chances while Auggie was here.

"No." She repeated.

"I hate to jump in, especially when I seem to be missing something but what are we talking about?" Auggie loved this, listening to her resolve crumble as she gave into the children she loved. It was very revealing, telling him that maybe those walls weren't really as thick as she let on. Not to mention it was slightly adorable.

"Truth or dare." It was Beth who answered him, as he'd expected it would be. "Come on, Aunt Annie, we wanna play truth or dare."

She was about to say no again, he could already hear it tumbling out of her mouth. So he jumped in for the girls, because, hey, it sounded like fun. "Aw, come on, Annie. How bad can a game of truth or dare be?"

"Fine, but just remember that you asked for it." She agreed finally, though she was still hesitant. "But only until it's time for you to get ready for bed." The girls whined for a moment but when she didn't retract, they sat down on the floor eagerly. Annie sat on the floor as well before tugging Auggie down to complete the circle. "Who goes first?"

"I will." Auggie offered without thinking about it, that was another thing he and Annie had in common, they loved going first with eagerness. But the more he thought about it, the more he looked confused. Finally, he gave up. "How do you play?"

The girls laughed and Annie just shook her head with a smile. "Beth will go first. You'll catch on soon enough."

"Okay, I choose... Aunt Annie. Truth or dare?"

"Truth." Annie answered almost automatically.

Beth pondered this for a moment, searching her brain for the things she wanted to know most about her aunt. "What's the most embarrassing thing you've ever done?"

Parade myself around as a hooker, she thought to herself, but she couldn't exactly say that to a child. So she chose the next best thing she could think of. "When I was nine, your mom was convinced that everyone hated my hair. Now I wasn't very popular and I was always getting in trouble so I wanted nothing more than to be liked. So I cut it short, so short my hair resembled Auggie's here. For the next few months I almost refused to be seen in public, I looked like a boy after all. A boy with a very girly name." She could remember those days now without wanting to kill Danielle, now that was a challenge within itself. "Alright, my turn. Aaron, truth or dare?"

Aaron took forever before finally deciding on "Dare."

"I dare you..." Annie mulled it over for a second. "To stand on your head." And so she did, after a slight struggle and cheers from her Aunt and sister. Auggie only cheered when he was sure she'd done it.

"Auggie." Aaron continued the moment she finished taking her bow. "Truth or dare?"

"Truth."

"When did you wall in love with my aunt?"

"We... he's not..." Annie's flustered voice was enough to have him chuckling as he patted her leg next to him. He had long since accepted that some day there would be something there, when it was the right time. But evidently, Annie still hadn't come around.

"It's my question, Annie. Shut it." He waited for her to smack him, but was satisfied that he wasn't in too much trouble when none came. "Love isn't like a Disney movie or a fairytale. It's messy and it's dangerous." He could practically hear the smile in Annie's sigh and the girls didn't complain when he acted like he'd answered the question. "I pick Annie. Truth or dare?"

And the game went on for a while with nothing more exciting than any normal game of truth or dare. Annie relaxed and began to enjoy herself, which may have been the problem. She let her guard down, so that when she tried to tell the girls it was time for bed she was unprepared. "Please, Aunt Annie, one more. Then we'll go straight to bed. I promise." Beth wanted to see just one thing before she went to bed, to prove something to her little sister.

"Fine, one more. But I swear, if you don't go straight to bed after that, you're going to face the wrath of Annie Walker." Annie growled playfully, reaching over to tickle Aaron into submission.

"Yeah," Beth rolled her eyes dryly. "I'm really scared. Can I ask now?" She waited until Annie gave the nod of consent. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare." Annie didn't think she could take another truth, some of them had turned out to be things she never intended to divulge to anyone outside her parents and her sister.

"I dare you to kiss Auggie." Beth gave her this toothy grin and she knew she'd been played.

"You want me to what?" Annie couldn't keep the blush off her face.

"Kiss Auggie." Beth repeated as Annie contemplated her choices. She could refuse, but she'd never hear the end of it, not to mention the fact that she would never be able to look Auggie in the face again. She could kiss him, and oh how she wanted to. If she did, she could satisfy her curiosity and write it off as a kiss between friends in a silly children's game. She couldn't find a downside to actually kissing him... except one. She didn't want to lose his friendship because of an awkwardness caused by one foolish kiss. For that reason, she clung to the decision that it wasn't worth it.

"Annie?" Auggie's voice was slightly unsteady and for a moment it seemed as if he was resigned to something. "You don't have to kiss me, if you don't want to. Nobody's going to make you."

He made it sound like the worst thing in the world, kissing him. It really wouldn't be. In fact, she had no doubt that she'd probably enjoy it. And she wanted to prove him wrong, but she couldn't bring herself to kiss his lips, just in case this strange feeling was completely one-sided.

Coming to rest with her decision, she leaned over and kissed his cheek lightly. "I know." Then she looked at the girls with her more-than-serious face and they took off up the stairs. "I have to go make sure they get tucked in, you can come with me or there's always the TV.

"Does tucking in mean stories?" He asked hopefully. He couldn't tell you what was so appealing about listening to a bedtime story, but there was something.

"For Aaron, yes." Annie's voice was soft, but bright. "Why? Are you interested?"

"Naw." He lied, though his embarrassed smile gave him away completely.

"Well, come on then." She laughed as she pulled him too his feet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Okay, so I love tonights episode! For many reasons, but Auggie having his shirt off AND having a tattoo on his back made my night.**

**So, things you should know...**

**1) I love the reviews! well, most of the reviews. See #2 for why**

**2) Yes, I screwed up the names in the first chapter, I was writing another story with the same names and got confused. No, I don't intend to waste my time changing it. And NO, Aaron's name is not spelled wrong. It was a wave to an old friends who _was_ a girl and had her name spelled like that. I am also aware of thier real names, but by time I started writing, I had already chosen names.**

**3) Sorry it took so long to write this, I was out of state for a week with no internet, then I was teaching classes to children 5-12 years of age. hopefully I will be able to write more now.**

**4) Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs, if i did, I'd have some nasty surprises for one Jai Wilcox.**

**Sorry it's so short, I just wanted this chapter to be posted. :)**

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"What story do you want to hear?" She asked the small girl once she was dressed and tucked in. Auggie stood in the doorway, not really knowing if he should really enter any further into the room

"The rogue princess." Aaron's toothy grin was convincing, so Annie tried to remember how it started so that she could tell her the story. It was, after all, Aaron's recent favorite and the one she'd come up with only a few months ago. That was until she realized that Auggie was still in the doorway. She couldn't tell _that_ story while he was here.

"How about a different one tonight, and that one next time." She asked the girl with apprehension. The last thing she wanted him to know about was _that_ fairytale.

"Promise?" Aaron's eyes were skeptical all of a sudden.

"Yeah, I promise. So, can I tell you a new one tonight?" Aaron nodded. "Once upon a time there was a beautiful kingdom run by two people governed by rules. According to the law, their son would marry the daughter of a neighboring country to strengthen both their alliance and their security. But he did not love her and could not in good conscience marry her. For he believed that marriage was something that should be between, and only between, two people who were ready to be with each other in a special, soul binding way. So one night, in the darkness of the castle's shadow, he ran away from his home and his obligation."

Annie's voice was lulling the small girl into a state of complete relaxation, much like hypnosis. "But his parent found out and sent their best men after him. When they came to the town where he had stopped to rest he ducked into the town's bookstore and came face to face with the most beautiful girl in the world. She was so struck by the man's presence that she didn't question why she was giving the strange man refuge in her back rooms. In the same way, it never occurred to him to tell her who he was. They fell in love after a while and while he wanted to marry the woman, it was impossible. Because if he tried to marry her, his parents would surely find him and scoop him back into their control. So, rather than ask her to give up the happily ever after he knew she deserved, he tried to leave. However, she knew..."

Annie looked down at the girl and smiled, she was fast asleep. So Annie stood and tiptoed from the room, taking Auggie with her. She checked on Beth and it wasn't until they were halfway back down the stairs that Auggie asked. "So, how exactly was the story supposed to end?"

She laughed as she walked away a little. "Why? You that interested?"

"No, of course not." Auggie lied, letting it drop. He was about to ask again, because truthfully he wanted to know, when he heard the unmistakeable flutter of cloth hitting the ground. His throat tightened a little and his collar felt a little bit tight. When he found the will to speak again, he'd forgotten the story completely. Why? Because... "Did you just take your clothes off?"

"No." She tried, flushed when he leveled the LIAR look in her direction. "Not completely."

"How much is not completely?" He didn't try to hide the laugh in his voice when she began stammering uncomfortably. "I just want to know what I'd be seeing if I could, well, see."

"Nothing." She snapped, more out of embarrassment than out of anger. Who did he think he was anyway? Wait, don't answer that... not while she had one leg in and one leg out. "I'm around the corner, not right in front of you. You wouldn't even know if you didn't have super hearing."

"You didn't answer my question." Auggie's smile grew just a little bit more. "Whatever you tell me can't be as bad as anything I come up with myself."

"I was changing into sweats." She told him after a few seconds. "It's easier to sleep in that than in a skirt." She grabbed the bed stuff she'd gotten and arranged it so that it created two places to sleep, practically right next to each other. When she sat down, she finally looked him in the eyes again. "Please, don't make this awkward."

"Never..." He grew mock serious. "As long as I don't have to stand here all night."

She reached out to squeeze his hand. "I set your stuff on the other side of me. He got down to ground level, reached out and touched sweat pants material. Playing with her, he ran his hand a little bit higher up her thigh and raised an eyebrow suggestively when all she did was gasp lightly. How far was she going to let him go? The thought made him wish he hadn't decided to tease her. Because now the thoughts he'd been toying with were back as she pushed him onto his own "bed". He wondered if now was the time to ask the question he'd been dying to since they started this dance. And without much of an answer, he did it anyway.` His voice was so soft that she almost believed it was a voice in her head. Almost. "Annie, what are we doing?"

"We are going to bed and then, tomorrow, I'm going to drive you to your house so that you can change, then we're going to work." She answered with a shrug, falling back on her pillow. "It's only a slight variation of any other day."

He just sat there, his eyes almost appeared to really see her. He couldn't believe that she was shrugging it off like that, after everything. "Annie."

"Please, Auggie, let's not discuss this tonight." She knew they had to, sometime or another. She'd have to explain why she didn't make a bigger deal out of his teasing and they'd have to talk about... well, things that have went unsaid.

"Fine." Auggie said curtly, turning to face away from her as he layed down. Both of them knew that the next day would present it's own challenges, in many ways, and they could leave things the way they were for now.


	5. Chapter 5

**Okay, so tonight's episode kinda made me mad, not gonna lie. She is getting way too close to Jai for comfort :(**

**Here's the next chapter as promised, school starts tuesday so I don't know how much I'm gonna get done for the next little while.**

**Anybody who reads Alice's Runner Sarah... I will update that as soon as my muse comes back (it ran AWAYYYYY!)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own...**

**Enjoy!**

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The girls were subdued and silent as they got ready for school. Annie was almost positive they knew something was up when their mom wasn't there to greet them when they entered the kitchen, but they never said anything outright. In fact, other than Beth's whispers (which, according to Auggie, she was comforting her sister by telling her that there had to be a reason their mom wasn't home and that she was sure Aunt Annie would tell them soon) and Aaron's occasional glance at her sister that looked like she was fighting back tear, they didn't say much of anything. So she'd stood on the porch with Auggie and waved goodbye as they climbed on the bus with a strange look in their eyes. There was nothing she could do for them, nothing that could make it any better for the time being. And that was what concerned her most, for someone who was considering playing mom, she certainly was clueless.

"You're not working, you're worried." Joan's voice snapped her out of her thoughts, sounding more nurturing than the reprimand Annie'd been expecting. She'd been sitting at her desk, contemplating her options for at least the last thirty minutes and getting basically nowhere. She'd spent the the last half of that simply worrying about how this was effecting the girls, rerunning everything she could have done better like a stupid broken record. Which brought her back to this moment and how it was unsurprising that she'd become such an easy read while sitting there. Still, her lack of concentration was an annoyance she'd have to work on after she figured out her problem.

But who better to ask, now that she was thinking about it. Who better than the woman who'd seen it all in this boy's club. "What would you do if you had the chance to save someone you care about from something that could hurt them but doing so would mean a new home, a new routine, and probably the loss of a close family member?" Yeah, she knew she hadn't worded it the best.

Joan leaned on the corner of Annie's desk, gave her an appraising look. She'd known they'd be having this conversation eventually. "You're going to have to do better than that." Yes, she already knew, but it was still better for Annie to say it. For her to explain it in her own turns.

"My nieces need security and a home where they _know_ they are loved, I don't care if I ever see them again if I know they can get that. I already know my sister can't give them that anymore, I'd be afraid every time I leave for work that when the girls get home from school they'll find one of their parents dead or worse, they'd be the ones hurt in all of this. If I let her keep them and they end up in foster care, I can't even pretend to know if that's what they'll get. They might get a perfectly fine family, but you hear all these horror stories of absolutely wretched foster families and I'd hate myself if I take that chance." Annie rested her head on the desk without even bothering to finish her rant. This was useless, talking to her was doing nothing for her state of mind. Nothing but giving her an even bigger headache.

"But you can't know if you'll give them that? Get over yourself, Annie." Joan scoffed. "I don't claim to absolutely know you, or to even know which of your choices is the right one. But if there was ever a woman who could pull off balancing the crazy of this job and being a single mom, I'd put money on it being you. It might not be the perfect arrangement, and you're likely to screw up a few times, but if that's what you decide to do, you'll make it work somehow. Just like a marriage, just more... permanent."

"You think I should take them?" Annie didn't bother to raise her head, she didn't want to see the sympathy she was sure would be on the faces of every coworker who'd heard the rumor mill about her running out yesterday. Everything from a car accident killing her sister and brother-in-law to Auggie making a cruel comment about Jai. Seriously, it seemed CIA agents had nothing better on their hands lately than to gossip about two of their own.

Joan just shook her head and got up to leave, she couldn't even make the choice for her, not this one. "I think you should do what you think is right, the rest, that's all just chatter. Now, for what I was here for in the first place, you'll be needed in the conference room in five minutes. Bring Auggie."

Annie did, in fact, head first to the tech ops center. Then again, she probably would have even if Joan hadn't mentioned it, simply because she could. Auggie didn't seem to be doing much of anything at the moment, except of course making fun of Stu. She didn't know why, but that guy had some serious personality issues, and as much as Auggie was a team player, Stu really got under his skin.. "Annie." He swiveled in his chair with his trademark grin in place when he heard her heels. "What can we do for you today?" Whether he was trying to be funny or serious, she couldn't tell. So she ignored his question for one of her own.

"Joan just called a meeting in the conference room, any ideas?" She didn't bother entering the room any further, Stu had a strange need to touch and there seemed to be an unspoken rule in the tech department that the only one who even so much as touched her arm was Auggie. Anytime Auggie even suspected Stu of breaking this rule, he seemed to up his mocking and bitterness just a little.

"I do have some." He affirmed as he rose and walked out ahead of her. But that was all he was saying on the subject, because Auggie was never one to spoil a surprise. Instead, he brought up another subject, one he thought was much more interesting. "So, I take it we won't be having drinks at the Tavern for a while now."

"No," She hadn't even thought about that, no more carefree night life with her favorite coworker after a rough mission. Just home to the girls for bed and stories. "I guess not. I mean, you'll still go and be swarmed by barely legal girls all dying to spend even a few minutes with the famous August Anderson, but I will have the glorious job of parenting for at _least_ the next two weeks."

"Annie, about last night..." He started, but she stopped him with a hand over his mouth.

"Not here, not now." She shook her head before entering the conference room. Around the table were the same people that were always there, Joan, Jai, Bea, and a handful of other people she could care less about at that moment. Sitting down between Auggie and Jai, she was trying to decide whether or not she should be irritated that he'd thought this was the appropriate time for that conversation. What was this, any way: Discuss impending personal changes with Annie at work day? And yeah, she was in such a mood that that was the best title she could give it.

Joan finally cleared her throat, drawing attention to herself. "There's been intel about a possible hostage situation at one of the busiest places in our country..."

"This is what the date and time we found meant?" Auggie asked, all heads turn to him now. "We were working on a simple shift code, came up with Thursday and 9:30. We don't know if they meant am or pm, but we just assumed it was chatter when there were no other details."

"So, do we know where?" Jai piped up, envious of the way Annie gave Auggie a proud smile and squeezed his wrist a little to show him that she was impressed. Things had gone nowhere since that barbecue all that time ago.

"We have a pretty good idea..." Joan pulled up a picture on the plamsa.

"Oh my god." Annie's voice was soft, unbelieving as she stared at the familiar layout.

"What is it?" Yet again, another reason to hate being blind. When the room went silent, you never quite knew why.

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**A/n: Yeah, I'm just that cruel**


	6. Chapter 6

**Okay, so the cliff hanger... not answered in this chapter. Yup, I just got crueler. But all will be answered in time. Instead.. I'm resolving another loose end! Read and find out.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own...**

**Enjoy!**

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Her smile remained in an effort to console the small child, she remembered being like this as a kid, being miserable because of it. "Well, at least you don't have to do that test today." Aaron just gave her a miserable grunt and Annie moved her hand off the poor girl's burning forehead.

"How is she?" Auggie asked as he walked into the room, carrying a glass of water, his cane, and aspirin in his pocket. Annie gave him a puzzled look, he'd gone his own separate way last night for all the good it'd done either of them. She knew she didn't get much sleep, thinking about everything that'd come at her in the last couple of days, and he looked like crap too.

"She has a fever and is sick to her stomach. Oh, and her throat hurts." Annie grabbed the wet washcloth she had left on the table and placed it gingerly on Aaron's forehead before meeting Auggie's distant gaze. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm not welcome?" His faked hurt expression was quickly replaced with a guilty smile. "I heard you called in and Jai gave me a ride over here."

"Jai?" She bit back several unorthodox words. "Please tell me he's not still here."

"No, I told him I thought you might be highly contagious." He laughed when he remembered the look on Jai's face as he drove away...rather quickly. "He probably won't bother you at work too much later."

"But I'm not going to work," She reminded him, "I called in."

"Go, you have a lot to do and not a lot of time to do it in." He went to Aaron's bed, sat down next to her and gave Aaron a big smile. "I'll stay here and watch the twerp."

"I'm not a twerp." She managed a miserable whine before drifting back off.

"I don't know..." It wasn't that Annie didn't trust him with her niece's illness, she didn't trust herself to not worry while she was supposed to be concentrating.

"I've got this, Annie, go." He pushed her off of the bed. "She'll be asleep the majority of the day anyway."

"Alright, thank you." She leaned down to kiss his cheek as she had done casually many times before. He just sighed, took in the warmth of her lips on his skin, and listened to her go. "I'll be back in no time!" She shouted as she walked through the front door, leaving him no time to say goodbye.

"Well, looks like it's just you and me, kid." He took the small girl's hand in his own.

* * *

"But Auuggiiee!" Aaron whined halfheartedly for what he guessed to be close to the fifteenth time.

"No buts." Auggie shook his head as he pretended to be serious. "You are going to eat this, you are going to like it, and you are sooo not telling Annie." They managed to keep their straight faces not even ten seconds before they were giggling hysterically. Yes, he never thought he'd see the day, he giggled. "Now go on," He managed when he could breathe again. "Eat it before it melts."

"All of it?" He imagined her eyes were wide as she looked at the generous bowl of ice cream he'd spooned out for her. If by generous, he of course meant mountain. It would do wonders for her throat, he knew, even if he got in trouble with her aunt later for the dessert.

"All of it." He agreed before putting his hand up for a second. "Wait a minute. Except..." Before she knew it, he'd grabbed a spoonful and popped it in his mouth. "That spoonful."

"Uncle Auggie..." She laughed and he froze. Thankfully, she'd already stolen back to spoon and was diving in. Did she even realize her slip? He didn't imagine so, which only made the fluttering feeling in his stomach stronger. She thought of him as family? He hadn't even suspected how entwined with this family he had become, with Annie, with the girls... all of them. And he found that instead of the instinct to flee that he expected to come any moment, he felt the need to embrace it as he settled in with Aaron on the couch to watch cartoons and try to steal her spoon again (and how she beat him every time, he'd never admit to letting her think she won).

* * *

"Come on." Auggie put on his best pout. "You can tell me." They'd been going back and forth telling stories for the last hour, and there was just one he _really_ wanted to hear. He'd carried her back to her room when she fell asleep, but as little girls tended to do, she was yet again a bundle of energy. Pent up and mopey energy, on account of being sick.

"But you'll laugh. Benny said it was a silly story when I told _him_." The fact that she was really concerned about this did make him want to laugh, but he choked it back with a serious expression.

"I won't laugh. Now, go on, tell me the story of the rogue princess."

"Well," She fidgeted for a minute before getting comfortable again. "A long time ago, longer now than it seems, in a place that perhaps you've seen in your dreams, there was a kingdom with the strickest and forbidding rules. To this kingdom, there was born two princesses. One settled into a simpler life, refusing her crown as she got older. The other, they named Rogue because fortune tellers spoke of her defiant streak. The king and queen didn't know how right they would be. The girl, when boys her age were choosing their livelihoods, wished to do the same. When her parents refused, she ran away and vowed to never return. Along her travels she met a man, he had a mysterious look and fell in love with him. It was over before she knew it and he left her with a note. Hurting and broken, she returned to her home where she lived with her sister who had disowned for marrying a man below their father's standards. There, she joined a very special and secret group of knights who gathered information and stopped bad guys from doing some very bad things. She got to use all the skills she been forced to learn in some unique ways. But she also met a wizard, he was funny and could do all kinds of magic. He was always there for her when a mission went wrong. But what she fell for the hardest was..."

Another voice cut her off, sharp from embarrassment. Auggie almost didn't say anything, she'd managed to sneak up on him good this time and his heart was still racing from the scare. But he was, after all, still a very good agent and wasn't about to get caught speechless. "Why, Annie, how nice of you to join us."

"Yeah, I'm sure you think so." Annie was glad he was blind for now, if only because he couldn't see that she was...

"Aunt Annie!" Aaron yelled with a laugh. "Why is your face all red?"

"It's not!" Dang, she'd jumped to answer _that_ one too quickly, and Auggie knew her better than she knew herself. He would know she was a...

"Liar." He smirked before turning back to Aaron while Annie stammered a defense. "What is it?"

"That even though he couldn't see with his eyes, he could see better than anyone in the world because he looked with his heart and head." She recited it in the same serious tone Annie would use, being her favorite part of the story. "Aunt Annie always gets all quiet and sad after that."

"Why's that?"

"Because there isn't a happy ending, Aunt Annie loves the happy endings. But Rogue knew that the wizard could never feel as she felt, not really. So she stuck close as his friend and companion, but she never told him that she loved him. He didn't know, even when the man she'd met in her travels killed her." Aaron looked up for Annie to see if she'd gotten it right, but she was no longer there. "Where'd Aunt Annie go, Auggie?"

He couldn't tell her the truth, he knew that much even if he was just getting used to all of this. He couldn't tell her that the fairytale had made her run, if simply because he'd heard it, not without telling her it was all real. "Just a rough day at work, honey, that's all."

"Okay." Auggie waited for her to say something else but was only met by heavy breathing, indicating her second dose of medicine had kicked in. Auggie could hear Beth downstairs as she explained what she'd learned in class to Annie.

He went down and waited until she saw him before giving her a nod. "Wanna talk about it?

Not really." She turned back to Beth, he could hear her recently socked feet pivot on the wood floor. "This isn't the time, Auggie."

"The hell it isn't." He was done waiting.


	7. Chapter 7

**The finale? I couldn't decide if I liked it or not. But that is niether here nor there, here's chapter 7. Hope you enjoy**

**Disclaimer: I do not own...**

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The garden that Danielle had tended to like another child was cheerful and sunny, nothing like she was feeling as she stood in the middle of it's colors and fragrance. She was confused and admittedly steel enforcing the walls already around her heart. She didn't want to have this conversation now, not while that fairytale was fresh in their minds.

Auggie was standing on the stone path, listening to the bird's peaceful song and looking nothing like his serene surroundings. In his eyes was conflict and tension, like a war raged in them. So she spoke, as her only real option. "What do you want me to say, Auggie?"

"Honestly?" He didn't move didn't change anything about his state but let out a deep, almost relieved sigh. "I just want the truth, no putting it off any longer."

"You bewilder me, Auggie. You may not want the truth after you hear it." She smiled sadly as she reached down to pick one of the flowers, an unforgivable offense if Danielle were here. "However, you know everything now."

"Just answer one question then." He went to stand beside her, her hand stopping him when he got to her. "The story, is it us or not?"

She looked at him incredulously. "Just how many blind wizards do you think I know?"

And there was her wit again, but he didn't have his answers yet. "Do you love me then, or was that just a part of the fairytale?"

She fisted her hand on her hip, gave him what he knew was the I-can't-believe-you-even-asked-me-that (otherwise known as "piss off" stare. Or, so he'd heard. "If it was about the fairytale, she'd have fallen in love with a prince who loved her back." She got quiet, mistaking his line of questioning as a way to let her down gently. "You don't have to say anything, Auggie, I never wanted you to feel responsible for what I feel. I understand if you don't want to stick around for dinner." A dark laugh. "Or for that matter, wanted to stop spending so much time together."

"So that's what this comes down to?" He held her in place when she tried to move past to go inside. "Do I even get a say in whether we just walk away?"

"No." She ripped her arm out of his grip and continued back down the stone path.

He could feel her slipping through his grip. He couldn't lose her. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that a part of him would die if he let her win without a fight, without telling her that... "I love you, Annie."

"No you don't." He could practically see her shaking her head with the resigned sigh she expelled before crossing the threshold back indoors.

He turned and went after her, his laser cane practically forgotten. "Annie." He spoke to the almost silent kitchen. Almost. There was hitched breathing (he ignored the guilt, it wouldn't do any good anyway) and Beth's mumblings over what sounded like math. "Annie." He said again when she didn't reply.

"By the stove." Beth supplied helpfully and he couldn't help but wonder what exactly the child knew. Was she really the mini-matchmaker Annie had once or twice made her out to be when she ranted about how the girl "accidentally" tripped Annie so that she would crash right into her dinner date on Thursdays? Well, he didn't have an answer to that. He nodded his thanks regardless and put his hand on the smooth surface of the counter.

He only had to walk two steps before his hand met hers. She'd started dinner, he couldn't smell it yet but the oven was on. Her fingers laced with his and he knew this was her way of telling him she knew she was being unreasonable and she couldn't help it, but she wanted more than anything for him to prove her wrong. He picked up their hands and kissed her knuckles. "I mean it, Annie, I love you."

"You'd have said something by now." Or at least that was what she'd told herself.

"We weren't ready, Annie, not really." He kept his eyes on where he assumed hers would be, willing her to see the truth in their sightless depths. "You were just getting over Ben, and me with Tash and Liza. Besides, Joan would have had my head if first thing I tried to do was seduce the fun, blonde, supposedly attractive, grapefruit wearing, Mingus loving..."

He was silenced by her lips. His arms went around her after the shock wore off, trying to pull her as close as possible. Giggling from across the room snapped them out of their moment before things could get, thankfully, too far. Annie chuckled softly, worked her way out of his grip and started chopping the vegetables she'd gotten out.

He wandered over to sit in a chair next to Beth, spoke when she didn't acknowledge his presence with anything other than a frustrated sigh. "What's this you've got here?" He gestured to the thick book she'd been flipping through a moment before.

"Math." She wrinkled her nose at him when he laughed. "I hate, Auggie, it sucks."

"No, you don't." He pulled his chair closer to the table. "You just don't understand it. How 'bout I help?"

Annie watched as he listened to her try and explain it to him, her thoughts wandering. She didn't know why she had tried to fight what she knew she wanted, it was almost like a reflex. Like she couldn't let a man get that close, wield that power over her. Was she worried Auggie would hurt her? Not really. Could he? Yes, he could very easily break her.

But she knew he wouldn't hurt her intentionally, and never as badly as she'd been hurt before. So she'd trust him, and she'd stop fighting this thing between them. If not for herself, then because it was hurting him when she struggled. Because he was in love with her, and she should have known that would be enough.

There was a sharp trill as the alarm went off, Auggie flinched so minimally that if she were anybody else she wouldn't have caught it. Because she did though, she took a detour around the island and pressed her lips to his hair for a brief moment before turning to pull the casserole out of the oven.

Beth turned to Auggie with a deceptively innocent smile, too bad he couldn't see it. "Are you spending the night again?"

"Um..." Auggie didn't have an answer. He didn't want to assume anything, it might be too soon. But Beth did expect an answer...

"No." Annie told her, her hands found Auggie's shoulders.

"No?" Both Beth and Auggie's expressions sank.

"No." She reaffirmed before adding. "Because you're gonna spend the night at Auggie's."

"They are, are they?" And he thought _he'd_ be assuming. His eyebrow raised but the glint in his eyes assured her he wasn't mad.

"Yes, I have to go back to work for a few hours." She lied, tapping her finger on Auggie's shoulder strategically.

He half listened as he felt the tapping morse code, he smiled when he realized it. D-A-N-I-E-L-L-E. "Well, I think that's a great idea." His hand rested innocently on the table, his finger tapping. J-A-I-L. She replied Y-E-S.

"I'm just gonna drop you off at his place after dinner, so go pack for you and your sister. while I set the table." She remembered what she'd been meaning to tell them later. "Oh, you won't be going to school tomorrow."

"Why?" Beth looked at her with confused eyes.

"We're going to Cedar Point when I get back. Now go."

Beth's book slammed shut and she was gone before Annie could say another word. Auggie turned in his chair to face her. "You're taking your _nieces_ on a mission?"

"Joan didn't tell you our cover?" She looked at him with a knowing smile, Joan hadn't told him.

"What do you mean, our?" He didn't dare get his hopes up.

"Young couple taking their nieces on vacation, a friend from work tagging along?" She went to get out the plates. "I'm surprised she didn't mention it in her excitement."

"Why would Joan be excited about sending Jai, a blind man, and a couple of kids along with you on a mission?"

"Oh, it's not Jai she's sending." Annie came back with the silverware now. "Our fearless leader is tagging along herself."


	8. Chapter 8

_Sorry! I've had this written but I had no real motivation to type it. Good news is, the next chapter is also written and I'll be able to type it up soon. Thank you all for your patience!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Covert Affairs, if I did there'd be NO seasons, it would just run straight through so that we're not all just sitting here being driven insane with anticipation :)_

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After a simple thirty minute car ride (if simple meant freaking out about everything that has happened in the last few days), she sat down on her side of the bullet resistance glass in front of Danielle. She hadn't even said hello before Danielle started. "Can you believe this? Locking me in here like a common criminal."

"You broke the law." Annie reminded with as much patience as she could muster. She didn't know if it was because she was technically part of the system that locked her up or whether it was just her, but the fact that Danielle _had_ to blame the system was grating.

Danielle got that sheepish look in her eyes. "It wasn't a very big one."

"Danielle! You threw a knife at him!" Annie dropped her head into her hands as she spoke through the glass. "That's not a small charge, that's attempted murder. You're lucky as it is that you missed. Don't even try to tell me you don't belong bars right now."

"It's not like I was actually gonna hit him." Danielle's pleading whine was replaced by disappointment when she realized Annie wasn't buying it. Usually it was her calling Annie's crap. "I can't believe my little sister is actually siding with these people. Where's loyalty when you need it. And what about Mark? Why aren't you yelling at him?"

"Because I'm not on your side, and I'm not on their side. I'm on my niece's side. You remember them, right? Aaron with the constant missing tooth and Beth, the mini manipulator? Your daughters? Yeah, well, I'm on their side and _you're_ their mother." She lowered her voice so that she wouldn't draw the attention of every one else around. "_That's_ why I'm here."

"Jeez, Annie, lay off. It was just a question." Danielle didn't even blink at the mention of her kids and Annie wondered, not for the first time in the last few days, just how self absorbed Danielle was. "You know, it's not like you even like them, so you can just drop the noble protector act."

Annie just stammered at her sister's statement. "Wha... W... Wh... What are you talking about?"

Danielle rolled her eyes. "Come on, Annie. You're hardly around, always canceling plans with them..."

"I was working, Danielle. If I could spend every day with them, I would, but I can't. You knew I wouldn't be home a lot but you were constantly arranging things for me to do with them, forcing me to let them down again and again. It was like as long as you got them out of your hair, nobody else mattered." She narrowed her eyes accusingly. "Do you even care about your own children?"

"At the moment?" Danielle leaned forward a little. "This is the first peace and quiet I've gotten since they were born, but I won't be gone long. Once my two weeks are up, they'll be mine again and they won't hear a word of this."

Listening to the way Danielle spoke of them, her mind was made up right there. It seemed like such an easy decision now that she made it and she didn't know what took so long. She could figure out the hows and the whys later, but this she knew for certain. "You're right, they won't hear about this, not from you. But here's where you're wrong. The girls are gonna live with me now, away from you and away from Mark."

"You can't do that. You can't take my babies." It wasn't a threat, but it could have been. The edge in Danielle's voice wasn't about love for a child, but about possession. It was about taking something of hers away, like she'd been with her toys as a child.

"I can and I will." Annie rose,, grabbed her purse off the counter. "They need someone to love them. Someone who can be there for them and only for them. I'm sorry, Danielle, but I think it would be for the best if you didn't even have contact with them, at least until we get settled in."

"Wait, where are you going?" Danielle jumped up, ignoring the guard who ordered her back in her seat. "You can't leave yet."

Annie looked at her, and for the first time since they were kids she saw the real Danielle. Her heart ached, knowing the woman she'd grown closer to since she'd moved to D.C. was a facade. The part of her, at least, that cared about her family was nothing more than a ruse to keep the world from seeing who she really was. "I've said everything I needed to say, Danielle. We're done here."

She left quickly, only barely making it to the safe interior of her car before the indifferent mask she wore broke and left her trembling with tears streaking down her face. Her forehead hit the steering wheel as she tried to sort through all her thoughts and emotions. She'd just taken on two children. They'd have to move, which meant she'd have to find a place for them to life. Her parents would take Danielle's side, as always so they wouldn't be any help in raising the girls. She very well couldn't ask Auggie to help her like that. Even with this new aspect to their relationship, it was still too much to ask of him... even if he is great with kids.

Her phone trilled from the inside of her jean pocket. Carefully she went through and calmed herself down so that her voice was smooth when she dug her phone out of her pocket. "Walker."

"Hey, Annie." Auggie's smile was clear even in his voice.

"Hey, yourself." She smiled in return, but there was no energy behind it, none that she could muster at least.

"How bad was it?" He kept his voice low as Under The Sea filled the background noise on his end.

"I just told my sister I'm taking her daughters, I have a week to find an apartment, my parents..."

"Breath, Annie." He cut her off, waited until she did what she was told. "You're doing good. You made the right choice."

"I don't have a plan." She shook her head clear, "I need to come up with some kind of plan."

"Here's the plan." The ever present voice in her ear told her in his no nonsense voice. "You're going to come home, kiss the girls, kiss me, eat dinner, and go to sleep. Tomorrow we'll head up to Cedar Point, and we'll go apartment hunting after we've completed our mission."

She smiled a little more. "What do you mean 'we'?"

"I told you I'd be here with you through this. My lease is up at the end of the month anyway and I figured: hey, I love you and I think you love me, so why don't we just..."

"Auggie." It was her turn to cut him off, though hearing him say the L word still made her stomach a little tingly. "Are you sure you want this? I mean, two kids is a lot to just jump into." Plus, of course, she still wasn't sure what he saw in her. No pun intended.

"Then we'll jump into it together." He didn't hesitate and she wondered if he'd thought it through. And she meant REALLY thought it through. He read her mind, whether intentional or not. "Don't try to change my mind, Annie. I love you, remember? I love these girls too."

"You keep saying that." She smiled a little, letting the subject drop for now. He knew it was neither admitting defeat or surrender, just that she was ready to move on. "Someone might think you're trying to tell me something."

"I'm gonna keep telling you, too." He sighed. "Until I don't have to wonder if you believe me." She could hear him shifting, chattering voices were suddenly very close to the receiver. If she had to guess she'd say the girls had joined him on the couch. "And every day after, too. Now, come home."

"I'm on my way." She turned the car on to prove her point before breathing out, "Hey, Auggie?"

"Yeah?"

Her smile grew again until she wondered if it would break her face. She couldn't promise him much, but she could give him this. "I love you."

He laughed, a good relieved and content laugh. "Glad to hear it."


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, this is shorter than I'd like it to be but it's a filler between events, so I'm not too worried about it. Next chapter: cedar point :) I will post it the moment I write/ have a chance to type it. **

**On another note, I am posting general updates on my profile every Tuesday. So progress on stories and new one that will be coming to play will most likely be posted there. So, yeah...**

**Disclaimer: I do not... (insert boring filler information about not owning show and how it kills me)**

**Okay, enough rambling...**

**...**

**ENJOY!**

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Annie shifted from one foot to another as she contemplated Auggie's door. Did she knock? Did she just walk in? On one hand, her nieces were inside and he _was_ expecting her. But on the other hand... well, it just didn't seem right. As she poised to knock, the door swung open. "Annie?" Well, that certainly wasn't who she expected to be on the other side of this particular door.

"Jai?" Annie's hand lowered from it's suspended position. Worry was a driving and powerful emotion. "Where's Auggie? Where are the girls? Why..."

"Annie." Jai cut her off before she could work herself up anymore. "Breathe. I come in peace. Auggie took the girls to a park to wind down before bed." He disliked having to lie to her, but Auggie would make him suffer if he squealed. Besides, there wasn't anything in it for him if he told the truth anyway. "Joan asked me to drop by, make sure everything's set for tomorrow."

"You disapprove." Annie knew it wasn't a question, he didn't like this.

"Auggie? Is that really the smart choice?" She'd known he'd say that, he'd been saying that since they got the assignment. "How's he going to watch your back if he can't even see it?"

"I trust him." Deja vu, she fought a frown as she remembered the events on the jet. "More than I trust you, Joan, or any other member of the agency."

"And you really think you can pass yourselves off as a couple?" He laughed skeptically. "Auggie's rusty, hasn't been in the field in ages. And there's no chemistry between you two. No amount of acting in the world could convince anyone that you're a legitimate couple."

"No chemistry?" Auggie's voice chuckled from the entry way, a girl on each hand. Annie turned to watch his eyes sparkle with mirth as he released them and practically strutted over, a humored smirk firmly in place. "I'd have your eyes checked, Jai, I'm blind and even I can see the chemistry. Isn't that right, Anne Dearest?"

The nickname was new, new enough that it had to stop. She let him wrap his arm around her waist and pull her dangerously close. This gave her access to step on his foot a little as she agreed, "That's right, August Darling." His wince told her he'd understood. The nickname would never, _ever_ come back up. "Where are the girls sleeping tonight?"

"I figured they could take my bed and we'll keep the previous arrangement." He shrugged.

"We are going to have permanently stiff backs." she shook her head as she ushered the girls into another room to get ready for bed.

Jai waited for them to leave before sparing Auggie a look of pity. "You will never even know how beautiful she is."

"Physically, I've heard all you guys talk, I know exactly how beautiful she is. But if you can't see her beyond the pretty hair and nice legs. Then you're more blind than I am."

There was something about Auggie's cocky grin, he'd lost and not just the argument but Annie herself. While normally he had control of his body and his emotions, he found himself reacting subconsciously. His fists clenched and he stepped forward. "Jai." Annie's bossy voice didn't break through, but it did cause Auggie's head to turn. It was the flicker in Auggie's eyes when he heard her that sent Jai over the edge. He lunged.

"Auggie." Annie's voice wasn't filled panic, but rather as if something like this happens all the times. He swung out, estimating the height he assumed Jai was. His fist collided with what felt like his jaw. Jai's body fell backward, tripping over his own inertia and ended face first on the floor.

She finally walked over to him, stepping over a sulking Jai. Reaching out, she took his hand. "Did he get you?"

"No." He shook his head with a small frown. " I could have sworn he was starting to mellow out." He shrugged before pulling her close to kiss her briefly. "Guess I was wrong."

"About Jai?" It was, admittedly, rare to hear him say he was wrong so she wanted to make sure they were on the same page.

"That," He nodded, leaning in until his voice tickled her ear. They didn't hear Jai get up, but he wasn't on the floor when Annie looked down. "And you do taste as good as you smell."

A shiver ran down her spine. "You didn't think I would?"

He pressed a kiss on her neck. "Nothing could taste as good as you smell." A sheepish smile disturbed his attempt to get her as hot and bothered as possible. Instead they both burst into laughter. "God, that was so cheesy." His voice was labored, his body still shaking like a leaf.

"You're telling me." She shook her head, stepped out of his embrace at the knock on the door. She distanced herself from him emotionally as she let Joan in. They hadn't talked about how much they were telling her and the rest of the CIA. She didn't even know what Auggie had told her so far. Now was no the time to stumble over whatever issues Joan might have with it. So she pushed it out of her thoughts and focused on running through the mission before morning.


	10. Chapter 10

**Yes, it's been forever since I posted on this. No, I cannot promise when the next chapter will be up. On top of that, I do not own Covert affairs :( . Oh, and yes, this is really short. Hope you enjoy:)**

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Her hands sweat as she clamped onto Auggie's and Beth's. Aaron's was on Auggie's other side, babbling away about all the colors and sounds. If Annie had known that she'd worry so much on the car ride, she'd have begged to take a plane. What if bringing the girls was a bad idea? Something could go wrong, they could be hurt. But there'd be no one to leave them with. And if all this goes well, then they have the rest of the day and maybe tomorrow to enjoy themselves on the agency's dime. And somewhere in there, she had to find a moment to sit down and tell the girls that their entire lives were about to be uprooted.

Joan had finally called her out on the house hunting, and as Annie suspected, they had a special procedure for these things. As they walked, a team was putting together a list of options. Did she like this policy? She wasn't sure yet. After all, there were a lot of places in the city, but they were expensive and she and Auggie both lived on a "Smithsonian" salary.

"I think you need to relax." Auggie whispered sharply when her grip tightened on his hand. She made a noise of consent, spotting Joan. "Remember, young couple in love. Right?"

"Right." She shook off her fears and scooted closer to Auggie. Finally she was able to smile. "Look, girls! It's Aunt Joan."

"Well, it's about time." Auggie drawled slowly.

"August." Joan's cool voice was annoyed. "Why, out of all the little brothers in the world, did mother decide to have you?"

Auggie smirked. "Well, she had to make up for having you some how."

"Let's go ride some roller coasters." Annie's voice cheerfully cut through the "sibling rivalry". "How about we start with the Raptor."

"That one has a height limit." Joan shook her head. "Aaron can't go."

"But..." Aaron was about to throw a tantrum, Annie just knew it.

"I'll stay out here with her." Auggie spoke up and Annie breathed a sigh of relief.

"Yeah, I think I'll skip this one too." Joan looked at the roller coaster suspiciously. "I don't particularly enjoy the ones where your standing."

"Your loss." She shrugged to Joan before kissing Auggie's cheek. "Thanks, Darling."

"Happy to do it." He smiled easily and Beth practically dragged Annie into the line.

It was about twenty minutes later and they were still just standing there. Aaron was continuing to chatter, but Auggie had stopped listening. Instead, the instinct they'd dubbed jokingly as their spidey sense. Interrupting Aaron, he picked her up, ready to run no matter how heavy she was. "Joan, do you hear that?"

"I don't hear anything." And it was the truth, over the chatter and commotion of families she couldn't hear anything. But she trusted Auggie's ears better than her own. "What am I supposed to be hearing?"

"That's just it, it's what's supposed to be there that's missing." Auggie cursed silently, remembering that Annie had no back up and was responsible for a small child. If something was to go on... no, he couldn't think of it like that, so he continued. "Stu, you there?"

"Yeah, Auggie. I'm here." Stu's voice crackled on the earwig.

"Why aren't we getting Annie's signal?" Auggie considered just calling her, but she'd have put her phone somewhere to go on the ride.

"I turned her off, man. Chicks scream bloody murder on coasters. Do you have any idea what that'd do to our ears?"

"Turn it back on, Stu, now!" Auggie's voice was shaking and tense.

"Auggie, what's wrong?" Joan's hand touched his shoulder, reminding him of her presence, and even more that he was beginning to scare Aaron.

"Aaron, honey, do you remember when Annie and I told you that we like to pretend we're secret agents?" He felt her body move as she nodded. "Well, Aunt Joan is going to play too, alright?" She nodded again and he finally turned in the direction of Joan's not so subtle sigh. "There's no screams, no roller coasters rushing past. The rides aren't running."

"Auggie." Annie's static voice came through loud and clear after he finished.

"I'm here, Annie." He let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "What's going on?"

"One of our suspects was running the ride and he recognized me somehow. I tried to get off, but they took her and threatened to... I got on the ride and he started it. He stopped it before it could get over the hill but the seats are locked." Her voice hitched. "I can't get to her, Auggie, I can't protect Beth."

The slapping of shoes distancing themselves from him was all he needed to know. "Joan and a couple of other agents are on their way. Annie, they'll be there in a moment."

"Where's Aaron?"

Aaron heard this. "Right here, Aunt Annie. Why do you sound scared? Are you playing secret Agent with Uncle Auggie too?"

"Yeah, baby." She made sure to calm her voice as she heard footsteps up the side of the roller coaster. She didn't turn, didn't want to see what she knew was coming. "Aunt Annie's playing a game with the grown ups." She heard what sounded to be the cocking of a gun and squeezed her eyes shut as she prayed simply that Beth would be alright.

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**Yeah, I'm just that meant. R&R please!**


	11. Chapter 11

_OMG sorry it took me so long! I completely ran out of inspiration and then I forgot about the story... and when I remembered I lost every copy of the chapter I've written which is why this is so small. I never meant to leave you guys so long at such a cliff hanger! And here it is, without further adu, the next chapter of Guardianship._

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"Get up." Auggie heard the man say through the earpiece, and then movement. He was talking but he couldn't hear what the man was saying. Then there was a struggle, a gunshot, and complete silence.

"Annie!" He yelled, "Annie, can you hear me?"

He hugged tightly to Aaron, pushing back the tears that stung his eyes as he held her. He needed to be strength for her, if for nothing else.

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She was walking up the hill of the coaster, he was gloating until she was standing directly at the top. "You know," He smiled as if talking to a friend. "You should have just stayed away. We don't need the agency interfering in our plans." He stared at her for a minute before raising the gun back up. "It's too bad, the kid's cute. It's gonna be a real shame to kill her, but a guy's gotta do what a guy's gotta do."

A feral growl let loose from her throat as she pushed against him, the gun going off and the bullet biting into her skin as she forgot all about her own safety.

She knocked the gun out of his hand as his hand moved to protect himself, then her footing was lost. She dropped so fast and so suddenly she almost didn't have the chance to cling on to the track. Above her was cursing and she could hear the man walk over to pick up the gun from the middle of the track. "Stu, turn me off." Annie spoke calmly, even as she fought to readjust her hands.

"I'm not gonna do that, Annie." Stu's voice crackled in her ear.

"Damn it, Stu, I'm not gonna let my niece and Auggie hear me die."

"You're not gonna..." She could feel the wet of her sweat making the pole hard to hold onto. "Stu!"

"Auggie's earpiece was disconnected when we heard the girl." Stu told her, his tone slightly annoyed. "We're not completely incompetent, you know. I don't know how much after that they heard but they aren't listening now. What's going on."

"The gun went off, my arm can't hold me up much longer..." She clamped her eyes shut and told Stu the one thing running through her mind. "Stu, I'm gonna fall to my death yards away from Aaron."

"Don't be too ready to throw in the towel, Annie." Joan's voice spoke above her.

"Joan." Annie breathed a sigh of relief as she told herself not to look down. "I can't pull myself up. My hands aren't gonna last long."

Joan just fisted her hands on her hips for a moment. "You wouldn't be giving up on me now, Walker?"

Annie tightened her grip and shook her head. "No, ma'am."

She put herself out of her head and on a pained yell, pulled herself up slowly. Finally a strong hand clasped hers and pulled her almost effortlessly up. She collapsed on the track, her arm almost going numb with the pain. Finally she looked into the eyes of the helping hand. "Thank you, Agent Mercer."

His deceiving eyes softened and she was surprised when she didn't feel the heat shoot through her she'd have felt a mere few months ago. "Annie..."

"Aunt Annie!" Beth came streaking down the side of the track, unaware of the danger of the high place. Within seconds she was wrapped around Annie's neck and any thought of Ben was gone. "Aunt Annie, I can't wait to tell Aaron. She'll be so jealous. I got to go on an adventure."

Annie worked her way to her feet, not even noticing Ben's aid as she reveled in the fact that Beth was okay. "Why don't we go find her and Auggie then?"

Beth was chattering aimlessly as she carried her, stopping only when she noticed the discoloration of her sleeve. "Are you bleeding, Aunt Annie?"

"Yeah, honey." She put Beth down with a wince, knowing she shouldn't have picked up the child. "I'm gonna go get patched up. Aunt Joan will take you down to Auggie and your sister."

Beth nodded and let Joan lead her away before stopping and deciding to voice her thoughts. "Aunt Annie?"

"Yeah, baby?" Annie crouched down in front of her.

"I like Uncle Auggie." Beth told her. "He makes you happy again... Hey, Aunt Annie?"

"Yes?" Her throat was clenched with hot tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks, ruining her image in front of the other agents.

"Mom's not coming back, is she?" Beth looked at Annie with honest eyes. "I knew she didn't like me, Aunt Annie, I just thought Aaron was her favorite and she regretted me."

"Don't even think like that." Annie shook her head. "We'll talk about this later. Right now you need to go see your sister and Uncle Auggie."

Beth nodded and let Joan lead her away finally.

Annie cursed as she stood there, wondering how she'd never noticed how much of her innocence Beth had lost at the hands of the situation. She'd known it would be hard on them, she just hadn't noticed how much they were already suffering. She had to be blind to not see it. Well starting from now she was going to do what she could to start being the best aunt she could be.

Finally she met Ben's eyes and smiled weekly. "Well, Agent Mercer, care to lead a woman down? Not quite sure I can make it on my own at the moment."

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_Review please! if you do I promise to devote my full attention to the next chapter! :)_


	12. Author's note, PLEASE READ!

Hey I'm so sorry, I've had horrible writing block for forever. But good news is, I have chapters in the works so those should be posted shortly. In other news, I need your guy's help.

This is going out to multiple stories, some finished, some not, so I apologize.

If any of you are Harry Potter fans and like RPG's can you please go to (remove the *s) f*a*c*e*b*o*o*k*.c*o*m*/H*o*g*w*a*r*t*s*.R*P*G.3*9*4 I'm trying to get it to run as close to realistic as possible but I need students! And maybe a few teachers for those who have a particular interest in being one! Please, if I get 30 people to enroll I will work nonstop on the chapters until they are done and the stories come t a conclusion.

And for the Harry Potter fanfictions, I will start working on the story of Mel and David if I get 60 enrolled


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